


(Alpha)Bet Your Life

by priyakli



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: F/M, Modern Westeros
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-02-10
Updated: 2016-07-27
Packaged: 2018-05-18 21:45:34
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 16
Words: 6,946
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5944171
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/priyakli/pseuds/priyakli
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jon and Ygritte, through all twenty six of the letters. Guest appearances by the Stark siblings and their various counterparts.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. A for Apple

_**A for Apple** _

"This is a stupid idea."

"Aye, probably."

"Ygritte."  
"Jon."

"I will not have you shooting an apple off my sister's head."

"For the record, I'm against this too."

"Shut it, Gendry." Arya snaps.

The apple in question sits atop an eager Arya's head, bright and red and innocent.

"She dared me to do it!"

"So you have to do it?! She's a child!"

"I'm nineteen, Jon!"

"Yeah, _Jon,_ she's _nineteen_."

"I rue the day I introduced you two."

"Rue away, Jon Snow." Ygritte pulls and releases, smoothly and confidently.

 A sharp _thwack_ and the apple teeters off of Arya's head, a hole shot straight through, while the arrow finds a home in the grass some 20 yards later.

"O' ye of little faith." Ygritte mocks. Roll of the eyes, quick hard kiss and then off to gloat over Arya.

Jon smiles for the first time since they buried his father two days before.

Winterfell holds much pain for him, and now it holds his father's bones as well.

It felt fitting, but sad nonetheless.

He and Ygritte had driven down from their apartment when the remains of Ned Stark were sent home after the investigation finally closed.

The crypt was too small to hold all the people who came to mourn the Warden of the North, but Jon is allowed in to see his father laid to rest.

Ygritte waits outside and understands when he needs to leave. She follows him into the woods until he finds a patch of snow, dirty and melting and holds him as he cries.

And now, the day before they go back North, before he leaves them all again, flashing back to what happened after the first time he left, she fights Arya over who gets to eat the pierced apple and makes him laugh.

Jon knows nothing, but he thinks that he'll be okay.


	2. B for Black

_**B for Black** _

His uniform is black.

He hangs in on the far, far left of their closet, right up against the wall where it's least likely to be seen.

He knows she hates the thing, that to her it represents all that is bad in her life, the laws and policies that keep her and her people in the drug neighborhoods, the faceless policemen that didn't care about the gangs threatening and destroying all she held dear.

He knows she sees his standard issue gun and sees the heartless cops who shot her parents as they sought refuge for themselves and their baby girl from the White Walkers.

The gun shots there and there on her ivory skin, calf and clavicle, come from his brothers, older policemen, men he'll never know, but policemen all the same.

He works to change her perceptions.

He fights to get Mance to speak to Commander Mormont, to negotiate a peace and end the ancient war between police and the (less than affectionately) nicknamed wildlings.

He wears black when Thorne calls him a heretic, because he _lives_ with a wildling, he _loves_ a wildling, how can he possibly be impartial?

He wears black when he says he's not impartial, that he lived with the wildlings undercover for a _year_ , and nearly became one in truth. He wears black when he pleads for peace, when finally, finally, they listen to him and agree that perhaps, _provisionally_ they should unite against the common enemy.

Those higher up than he begin drawing up plans for the relocation of the wildlings to safety. He's placed on leave, for the interest of impartiality.

 Jon goes home, home to her. Walks in the door, strips of all that black and kisses her fully and freely.


	3. C for Car

**_C-Car_ **

He get two months off.

They load up the car the next day, for a presumed trip to Winterfell. Ygritte doesn't see what Jon packs in his unusually large suitcase, nor does she catch the third one he slips in with the majority of her summer clothes in it. He packs better for her than she does anyways.

They drop Ghost off with Sam and Gilly and hit the road.

Jon cedes control of the radio to her pretty much immediately,  knowing fighting it is pretty much useless.

She's tuned them to classic rock as he blows past Winterfell,  and turns to face him, question burning in her eyes.

"You kidnapping me, Jon Snow?" His deep, loud laugh startles her and he turns the music up, Springsteen confirming that they were in fact tramps born to run.

"You always wanted to see the South."

He wishes he had a camera so he could capture the look of shock on her face.

"Truly?!"

"Truly."

She throws her arms around him then, and the car serves violently as she does.

"Ygritte!" He exclaims as she's halfway wedged herself between him and the wheel. "I'm trying to drive!"

"Shut up there's no one on the road." Her voice is muffled and he can almost hear tears. "Pull over."

He does and she kisses him hard, hands framing his face. When they're both out of breath she pulls away so the tips of their noses just barely touch. The tears have now slid down the contours of her cheek. He brushes the left one way with a knuckle.

Her gaze is so very intense. He feels as if she can see into his soul. He can see hers, he thinks, and in this moment, it shines brighter than the sun.

"Thank you, Jon Snow."


	4. D for Dorne

_**D-Dorne** _

On the road, Ygritte calls Tormund at the community center and tells him she's taking a vacation.

"For how long, missy?"

"Wouldn't you like to know?"

"Kid's are gonna be upset you ain't round for archery lessons." He sighs. "Where you going? I'm assuming the crow 'as something to do wit' this."

"Tormund. He's takin' me South."

"...Alright, I'll tell Mance for you, girl."

"Thank you."

She hates schedules and agendas so Jon made a point of not having a plan, other than eventually getting to Dorne.

They stop at Moat Cailin and wave goodbye to the North.

The motel that night is grimy and run down and the instant Jon jiggles the door open, Ygritte jumps him, wrapping her legs around his waist and kissing him furiously.

No words are said, but so much in communicated with the slide of her tongue against his and way he cradles her head as he lays her down on the suspicious motel sheets.

They stop at King's Landing, and Ygritte marvels at the people's ability to live so close and cramped. They both have issues adjusting to the heat, so Ygritte opts to walk around in her shorts and bikini top.

Jon has an incredibly hard time controlling himself.

He fails miserably and fucks her in the car, and then rents a room just so he can have her again, properly this time.

She decides she does not like King's landing, so they leave and drive through the night until they get to Dorne.

She decides she loves Dorne the second they see it, with the sun rising over the horizon.

He parks as close as he can to the sea, and she bolts as soon as the car stops moving.

Within seconds she's raced down the waterfront and jumped into the sparkling waters.

"Come on, Jon Snow!" She yells, and he does, dives fully clothed into the warm water beside her and marvels at it all.

They stay that way, laughing and playing and kissing in the water until locals start to appear and stare at them.

He drags her from the water sometime later, and they eat a huge lunch consisting of duck and lemon, extremely spicy stuffed peppers, and flatbread. The spiciness of the food catches them both off-guard, and the sturdiness of the wine delights Ygritte. Jon nearly spits his out.

 Red juice runs down Ygritte's chin as she tastes a pomegranate for the first time.

They find a hotel that sits right on the beach, and change into swimsuits, Ygritte intent upon spending the remainder of the day in or at least near the water.

These plans are slightly derailed when Jon gets one look at her in her the frankly indecorous blue bikini.

"Remind me to thank Margaery for lettin' me borrow it."

Needless to say, their first day in Dorne is a good one.

They spend five days in the Water Gardens, swimming, tanning (in Jon's case), burning (in Ygritte's), eating, drink, fucking, and most of all _living_.

Ygritte becomes addicted to the Dornish creamcakes and their sour wine, whilst Jon eats copious amounts of spiced eggs.

Jon buys an ornate book on Nymeria, the Princess of Dorne, for Arya. Ygritte decides to bring back a flagon of wine for Tormund.

She wants to see _everything_ , and Jon's never slept better in his life than when they finally get back to the hotel after endless adventures.

Jon knows he's fulfilled her lifelong dream, but can't really grasp what that means to her. He catches her crying one evening as the sun sets over the sea, tears contradicted by the biggest, most dazzling smile he'd ever seen grace her features.

He wipes away the tracks with the pads of his thumbs. She turns her teary gaze to him, and the blue of her eyes matches exactly the sea behind her.

"My love..." He says, and her hands wrap around his wrists. She kisses him ever so softly.

Jon Snow forgets his train of thought, and simply lets the moment stretch on.


	5. E for Expedition

**_E-Expedition_ **

They decide to visit Sunspear on their last day in Dorne.

Ygritte tries her hand at throwing spears, and determines them impractical.

They wander the bazaars surrounding the ancient castle, and Jon buys her a Dornish double curved bow, even though she insists it's too expensive.

"I love to watch you shoot." He says as he hands over money to the merchant. "Plus, Arya will want to try it as well, so think of it as a present for both of you."

They walk out to the sand dunes and he watches her fire arrow after arrow into a makeshift target.

"Almost makes me miss the North." She remarks. "Squirrels are so much more of a challenge."

She finds the tallest dune there is, and laughs like a manic as she slides down it, Jon holding her bow and watching on worriedly.

As they drive back to the Water Gardens, Ygritte reminds Jon of Ghost when the direwolf is called inside in the evenings- heels dragging and overwhelmingly reluctant.

They make love for the last time in Dorne that night, and she quietly thanks him again as they drift off to sleep.

But he's not done with the surprises.

It's late morning, sunshine streaming into their room, her hair impossibly vibrant against the white sheets they've cocooned themselves in.

"I have a surprise for you." He says to her as he wraps a stand of her hair around his finger.

"Whas that?" She asks, licking her lips.

Jon means to lean in and kiss those lips, but misses and gets her nose instead. He twists around and grabs two white plane tickets to Lys from his nightstand.

"Jon..."

"Ever been on an island before?"


	6. F for Fish

_**F-Fish** _

Lys is beautiful and warm, and Ygritte has to practically bathe in sunscreen before she steps out of the hotel. And even still her skin gets progressively pinker every day.

Jon blends in well enough with the locals, too pale and too stocky but otherwise fairly surreptitious. His accent raises eyebrows, but hers raises questions besides.

She sticks out like a sore thumb when they roam the markets and streets, the red of her hair standing out vibrantly from the blondes and whites of the local women.

Ygritte rents fishing rods from a tourist trap, and races him down to the dock. He wins and she pouts.

"I know 'ow ta fish, Jon Sow."

"Out of a hole in ice. This is different. Now shut up, you're scaring them all away."

"They can't hear us, they're fish!"

Eventually Jon hooks a big one, but they have nowhere to keep it, much less cook it, so Ygritte gently slides the hook from its lip with her delicate fingers and throws it back to the sea.

They amble along the shores day after day, and Jon has to constantly pry her from the waters.

She loves the bright yellow swimsuit he accidently packed, and laughs at the look of distaste on the fashionable ladies when she wears it proudly.

She scoffs at the sweet wine the Lyseni prefer, and leads them on a wild goose chase one evening searching for some proper Northern Ale. A free folk named Grunor, who was rather upset to hear he was no longer the only wildling to have made it this far South, sells them some for an absurdly high price.

They drink it straight out of the bottle on the beach as the sun sets, Ygritte unaffected and Jon grimacing every time it's his turn to drink.

After it's all gone and they're both hiccupping he has her right there on the beach, and then again and again in the ridiculously pricey hotel.

He knows he'll wake up with a headache in the morning, but gods, if anything makes it worth it it's her as she is right now, naked, warm and wonderful in his arms.


	7. G for Garden

_**G-Garden** _

They're in Highgarden when it happens.

Looking at it retrospectively, its nearly enough to break even the hardest of hearts.

They're sitting in a cafe waiting for their (free) food to be brought out- Ygritte's friendship with Margaery Tyrell certainly has its perks.

Jon's on his phone talking to Arya (well, more listening to her complain about Gendry).

"I don't understand when it happened Jon, but  he's actually gotten decent at swordplay."

"Not surprising, you make him practice with you nearly every day."

"Yeah, but he's not supposed to be actually _learning_."

Jon's laugh is interrupted by the ring of Ygritte's phone.

Tormund's name flashes on the screen as her phone buzzes. Her face lights up as she answers.

It falls when no greeting is offered. Tormund says to her only three words, and then hangs up.

_Mance is dead._

Jon sees her look of horror, sees her turn grey and tells Arya he's got to go.

She drops her phone on the table and runs to the ladies room, hand clamped over her mouth. He picks it up in confusion.

"Hello?"

"Ygritte?"

"No, Jon now. What's the matter?"

"Mance is dead."

Jon curses, and drags a hand down his face.

"I have to go, Tormund."

"Get her back here in one piece crow, or I'll have your head on a stake."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Taking a darker turn for a few chapters here... I'll be posting the next chapter sometime tonight. Thank you so very much for all the kudos and comments!


	8. H for Home

_**H- Home** _

She goes to the funeral and then goes to a bar.

Four hours later, Tormund carries her though the threshold and deposits her on the couch. She smells overwhelmingly of ale, and her head lolls dangerously, helplessly.

"Found 'er in a bar." Tormund grunts roughly, gently pushing her hair away from her face. "Take care of her, lad."

With that the giant man takes his leave.

Jon watches her until she wakes up, and then holds her hair as she pukes.

He stumbles when she pushes him away and grimaces as she screams at him.

He doesn't know how to fix her, how to help her.

She throws a vase at the closing door when he leaves for work on Monday and get placed on leave from the community center.

When she disappears, Jon tears the city apart looking for her.

One day, two days no sign of her.

He comes home from patrol and she's curled up on the couch.

Jon lays a blanket over her, walks into their bedroom and sits heavily on the bed, head cradled in his hands.

He stays that way until she stumbles in, wrapped in the blanket and without stopping crawls onto his lap and into his arms.

He can't see her face but can feel her shakes and the dampness of her invisible tears on the damning black of his uniform.


	9. I for Iodine

_**I-Iodine** _

"Stop flinching."

"It stings."

Jon tsks and continues to press the yellow liquid along the gash in her forehead. She regards him coolly from her seat on the closed toilet lid, through one eye, the other swelled shut and weeping.

"I wish you'd let me take you to the hospital." He says as he covers the wound with gauze. "It may need stitches."

 "Th' hospital'l just-shit." Jon is quick on the draw with the tissue as blood begins gushing out her nose again. "Jus' ask questions." She finishes nasally.

Jon lays a hand on her forehead and makes her tilt her head back. "As they should. Gods, Ygritte, you-"

"Stop. I can take care of meself."

"Did I say that you couldn't?"

"I know you want to."

"Fine. Is _this_ what you call taking care of yourself?!" His voice is loud and angry and she cringes away. "Picking fights in alleys with Thenns three times your size, drinking yourself to the grave? Not eating, not sleeping? _Seven hells_ , Ygritte!"

Silence, silence, silence sits heavy between them in the tiny bathroom.

"They called him traitor." She finally speaks.

"What?"

"Thenns. They were say tha' Mance was a traitor, tha' he wasn't negotiating peace, tha' 'e was selling us out."

Silence again, a guilty one. He doesn't notice right away that she's crying, but when he does he kneels and gathers he into his arms. Her own stay clutched around her middle, her involuntary trembles violent and uncontrollable.

"He wouldn't have, I couldn't let 'em say it." She sobs. "I couldn't Jon, after all 'e did for me, for us, I _can't_!"

He rocks her gently back and forth as she fights against the tears that won't stop.

The hard tile of the floor hurts his knees, and he focuses on that pain because it's easier to feel than hers.

It's three a.m when she lets him take her to the hospital, where they set her shoulder properly and stitch up the gash.

The white lights of the place make her look downright sickly. She could drown in the hospital gown, and he could count her ribs, the individual bumps of her spine. And for the first time he can remember, her hair looks dull and colorless.

The hospital won't let her go the next morning, or the morning after that, calling her a danger to herself.  They call for a psych consult, but she refuses to speak to the small bespeckled man.

Tormund visits once, twice but he lacks to courage to see her pain. Or maybe he just loves her too much to acknowledge it.

Jon doesn't know what to do, so he calls Robb.

"I don't understand Jon." Robb says quietly. "If anyone could know her loss, it's you."

Ned Stark was murdered and slandered for his loyalty to the truth and Mance Rayder disparaged  and died for his commitment to freedom.

He understands more and more, after that.

She gets better more and more, after that.


	10. J for Jail

**J-Jail**

Arya visits, as she constantly does, and takes Ghost on extremely long walks while Jon and Ygritte are at work.

His little sister helps him force Ygritte to do her physical therapy for her recently re-located shoulder.

"You've got to, else I'll be a better shot than you." Arya mocks.

"Even with a shit shoulder I'm a better shot than you." Ygritte scoffs and rolls her neck with an intimidating crack.

"Wanna bet?"

"No," Jon cuts in. "For the last time, not everything is a competition."

Two faces turn to him, and one distinctly inflected voice rings out the well worn sentence.

"You know nothing Jon Snow."

Jon rolls his eyes but can't keep a smile off his face.

"Hey Jon, I told you that Gendry is coming up tonight right?"

"No."

Arya looks briefly guilty. "Oh. Gendry is coming up tonight."

"He'll be sleeping the garage." Jon growls. "I still don't trust him round you."

Arya lets out an exasperated sigh. "We're just friends."

It's Ygritte's turn to roll her eyes.

"If you say so." Ygritte drawls sarcastically.

They go out to dinner that night with Sam and Gilly, and Sam pesters Arya with countless questions about her time in Braavos.

Gendry arrives and Jon scowls and turns in early.

Ygritte's deep in sleep and he's drifting in and out of consciousness by the soft light of the bedside lamp, papers resting on his lap, when his cell phone rings.

She wakes up with a start as he fumbles in the direction of the shrill noise.

"H'lo?"

"Jon? Jon!"

"Who's this?"

"Your sister."

"Sansa?"

"No, Arya, you dumbass."

"Arya, why aren't you asleep on my couch?"

"Because I'm may or may not be in jail."

" _WHAT?!?_ "

As far as Ygritte can tell from Jon's incoherent screaming, it happened like this: several months ago a man who Arya refuses to name stole something and she got caught stealing it back.

"Gendry's the one who fucked it up." Arya says once Jon's posted her bail and sent Gendry back in a cab. "I would have never been caught but he saw me sneaking out and insisted on coming along."

She slams the car door and Jon drags a hand down his face.

Jon fumes, barley containing his anger. "You know your mother is going to blame _me_ for this."

"Yes." Arya sulks. "So?"

Ygritte watches from the back seat with wide, curious eyes, unable to contain just a hint of mirth.

" _So,_ she'll stop letting you visit me! Or out of the house for that matter!"

"I don't understand why this is a big deal."

"Arya, you were _arrested_. You went to _jail_."

"Ygritte's been to jail lots of times!"

Ygritte wisely stays quiet.

"Ygritte," There's a vein pulsing in Jon's forehead, and he's back to yelling, "is not the _daughter_ of _Eddard Stark!"_

"Thank the gods." Ygritte mumbles.

Arya's returned to Winterfell, and before long, Catelyn uses her many, many connections to find someone to permanently supervise her youngest daughter's conduct.

Sandor Clegane is brought to Winterfell five days after Arya's arrest. He walks through the gates and gets a sinking feeling as Arya Stark smirks from the door.


	11. K for Karaoke

_**K-Karaoke** _

His friends love Ygritte.

It actually kind of annoys Jon.

She's the exception to Edd's great dislike for wildlings, her mocking manner meshing well with his sarcastic humor. Their heated debates are always a thing to behold, cynicism heavy and ever-present, never a clear winner and yet never a loser either.

Grenn always tries to outdrink her when she comes out with them. He always fails.

She tries to hide it, but she values the kindness that runs straight into Sam's bones. Sam loves to answer her endless questions about the world. Pyp drives her crazy, with his constant humming and judgmental looks when she and Grenn get wasted, and she often jokes that in another life she might have killed him.

He learns to like her brashness and bluntness eventually, and now hums the simple melodies of the free folk songs when she's around. Sometimes she'll sing along, in a rasp that cuts Jon to his core.

She and Gilly always get on well, both calling north of the Wall home.

So on Friday, after a week of Thorne being particularly awful, it's not a surprise they want her to join them at the bar the Night's Watch frequents.

"We ain't seen her in a while Snow, make her come out."

"If you think I can make her do anything you haven't been paying attention."

"But it's karaoke night!"

"That's just incentive for her _not_ to come. Or for me, on that note."

But he calls her anyways, and she says maybe she'll stop by.

Grenn's three whiskeys in, a thoroughly drunk Edd is wailing through a painful rendition of 'The Bear and the Maiden Fair', and Jon figures she's not coming.

"Gods he's awful." Jon groans and throws back the rest of his drink. "Pyp, you have to go up there and stop him."

Pyp shakes his head. "Don't see why you can't do it."

"Because I can't sing either."

Pyp shakes his head again, but grimaces as Edd starts the next verse. Jon gets his glass refilled.

It goes to show Thorne's vileness that even now, at a bar with his friends and the warm buzz of alcohol coursing through him, Jon's mind keeps drifting back to the wretched man.

Jon can't help but resent Mance, the only unifying factor between the Watch and the free folk, for being murdered at literally the most inconvenient time possible. If Thorne's supporters didn't have ammunition before, they certainly do now.

He sits with his sullen thoughts in the dark bar.

And then there's light, as the door opens.

And then there's red.

"Hey, you." She motions to the bartender. "Get that one a shot on me."

"Shot of what."

"The strongest drink you have."

Pyp protests as Ygritte slides him the small glass, and then protests even more as she shoves him up on stage.

"Now sing!" She yells as she takes the barstool next to Jon, draping an arm around his shoulder.

Pyp does and the whole bar breathes a sigh of relief.

"Thank you." Jon whispers, just for her. She winks.

 Edd, meanwhile, stumbles back to the bar.

" _Ygritte_!" He slurs drunkenly.

"Edd." Ygritte raises her eyebrows at him. "Havin' fun?"

"You know it, girlie. 'Specially now you're here." He leans in close and loudly whispers in her ear. "Grenn needs help getting on my level, think you're up to it?"

Ygritte steals a smirking Jon's drink.

"Always."


	12. L for Ladder

**L-Ladder**

Jon drops the cardboard box with his personal things in it on the desk with a thunk.

He does not know how he got here. Well he does, it was a short walk from his desk to the Commander's personal office, but it feels unreal.

He's lightheaded yet heavy hearted.

Because in the last hour, three events shook the very foundations of Jon's existence.

First, Thorne is removed from his position.

Second, Jon in elected to take his place.

Third, Tormund agreed to take Mance's position and cooperate with the new Commander.

He feels everything has changed, because everything has.

He never meant to end up here, to climb the proverbial ladder.

He sits in Thorne's old chair and picks up Thorne's old phone. Jon calls Robb first, not Ygritte, because he needs someone who will just be happy for him.

"Hello?" His brother picks up, and Jon hears his nephew squalling in the background. "Who's this?"

"The Commander of the Night's Watch."

"...Thorne?"

"No." Jon replies with a bit a laugh, which gives him away.

" _Jon_?"

"Yes."

Jon can here the pride in his brother's voice as he offer his sincere, if distracted, congratulations.

"Be careful though Jon. You're likely to make enemies." Robb warns.

Jon nods to himself.

"I know."

"You know nothing."

Jon's head snaps up at the sound of her voice. There she is, flushed and panting in his doorway, looking like she'd run all the way from the Frostfangs. He tries to read her expression, but her upturned eyebrows and parted lips give nothing away.

Before he can say even a word, she throws herself at his lap, the chair squeaking in protest at the added weight. Her face is hidden in his chest, under her red hair.

"Ygritte I-"

He stops when she kisses him, harsh and demanding, always asking for more, but he can feel the smile on her lips with his own.

Ygritte tears herself away, to his groan of protest, and frames his face between her hands.

"Jon Snow." She say very seriously. "Lord Crow." A bit of a grin there. "I'm 'appy for you."

Jon traces her unfathomable features with his eyes, look of utter disbelief apparent upon his face. "Why?"

"I've told you before. You're a brave man."

Jon shakes his head infinitesimally, and looks at her like the sun and moon rise and set on her alone. She casts her eyes downwards in an uncharacteristic show of shyness. When she looks back up, the blueness of her irises are extra bright and shiny with tears.

"And I know, Jon Snow." She swallows hard. "That you'll do right by me."

"I'll do right by you all." He whispers, and goes back to the infinite bliss that is kissing her.

...

...

"Jon?  I'm hanging up now."


	13. M for Milk

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In which I attempt to earn the M rating. Fair warning.

**M-Milk**

"Damn it, Ygritte." Jon yells. "Not this again!"

She ambles out of the bedroom into the kitchen, hair wild and eyes drowsy. She wears only his T-shirt, a detail that which Jon tries very hard to ignore.

"You put the milk cartoon back in the fridge." He shakes the damning evidence for emphasis.

Ygritte yawns and boosts herself up to sit on the counter. "So? That's where milk belongs. In th' fridge."

"It's empty."

"Oh."

"I already poured my cereal."

"So pour it back."

With a shake of his head, he moves to stand in front of her, hands on her thighs. Her sleepy eyes light up as he tilts his head to kiss her. Her lips are impossibly soft and he can taste toothpaste.

"Say you're sorry."

"No."

She pulls him closer, kisses him deeper.

"Ygritte..." He groans as her hands begin to wander.

She unbuckles his belt in response, and shoves her tongue in his mouth.

"I have to..."

Her clever fingers unbutton his shirt and push it off his broad shoulders.

He managed to grunt out a strangled "work" before she reaches down to grasp his cock fully.

"Wha' about work?" She rasps in his ear as she strokes him. Jon moans and moves to bite at her shoulder, her neck, anywhere he can reach.

"I have to... _fuck_...go there."

She releases him and his eyes fly open at the loss.

"Call Sam. Tel 'im you ain't coming in."

"But I am."

Ygritte shakes her head and loses her shirt.

"Are ya now?"

Jon picks her up and moves her to the kitchen table.

"Stay." He growls and grabs his cell phone.

Her face is the picture of innocence as he dials.

"Sam?"

"Jon?"

"Ygritte, _stay_."

"Jon?"

"Yes. Hello. I'm not coming in today, my car is... broken."

"Broken? Well, I can swing by and-"

"No, I'm taking it by the- _Ygritte, stop it_ \- by the shop later today so I need to be here."

"Well surely Ygritte can take it by, or I can get Gilly to-"

"No, Sam it's just- _seven hells, woman_ \- I'm taking a per...sonal day okay?"

"Is everything okay? That last bit was muffled."

"Yes Sam, its f-fine, I just have to- _fuck_ \- go now."

"Hello? Jon?"

Jon presses end and throws the phone far out of reach, returning his attention fully to the mischievous redhead on her knees in front of him.

"Fuck, Ygritte." He pants between kisses. "You're the devil."

"Am I in trouble, Jon Snow?" She teases, chest heaving. He grins and lays her fully on the kitchen table, tracing a path of sloppy kisses down her body.

"Oh, you will be." He says darkly.

She writhes and moans as he goes down on her. His tongue takes her to the edge, but he doesn't let her climax, relishing the look of anger on her face as he pulls away.

"The _fuck_ you think you're doin'?" She groans.

Jon grins evilly and pins her wandering hands above her head. "Getting back at you."

He bring his lips to hers painfully slow, and her hips buck against his, desperately seeking release. He tsks, and continues his slow scholastic kiss.

Only when she's begging his name in her low rasp does he enter her, fast and hard and she comes with his name on her lips.

They lay in a sweaty heap after, Jon's head resting on her chest, her legs still around his waist and a hickey forming on her neck.

"We have to sanitize this thing." Jon raps on the dark wood of the table and feels the movement of Ygritte's belly as she laughs.

"Maybe jus' get a new one."

Jon's low chuckle reverberates in her bones and she inexplicably flushes a deeper pink.

"Feel free to leave the empty cartoon in the fridge anytime you want." Jon remarks idly as their breathing calms down.

"We don't 'ave enough money to buy that many kitchen tables."

"We'll manage."

He cranes his neck to kiss her once, hungry again, and then carries her back into the bedroom, figuring if she makes him take a day off work, they better make it worth it.


	14. N for Nicety

**N-Nicety**

Their presence is requested for dinner at Winterfell, and upon initially refusing, Ygritte fields a call from Robb.

"'Lo?"

"Ygritte? It's Robb."

"Hi, Robb, listen, I'm late for work, wha' do you need?"

"I need you and Jon to come to dinner tonight."

Ygritte stops looking for her keys and sighs audibly into the phone. "You know 'e don't like being back there."

"I know. But it's important."

"...alright then."

After some coercing on Ygritte's behalf, they both take half days off work and make the drive down to the Stark ancestral estate.

"I'm failing to see why we have to be here." Jon sighs after pleasantries are exchanged and everyone sits down to dinner.

"You are so dense."

"Why, what am I missing?"

"You'll see."

Jon returns to his food, and Ygritte gazes around the table, seeing things he overlooks.

Sansa can't stop smiling and is sitting on her left hand, whereas Sandor looks happier- well, less unhappy- than Ygritte has ever seen.

Jeyne Westerling isn't drinking wine, and Robb whispers to her as she eats tiny bites with trepidation. Little Ned sits on Robb's lap, already asleep after all the excitement. Jeyne Poole blushes furiously as Theon sits mutely next to her, a small smile on his usually downturned lips.

Gendry, as always, gazes longingly, lovingly at Arya, who, as always, eats like it could be her last meal.

Sandor clears his throat and stands, and Sansa flushes a light pink.

"Right then, the little bird and I 'ave some new."

Catelyn turns from lecturing Bran and Rickon about cutting their meat _properly_ and not like _savages_ to look at the giant man.

"Sansa and I...well we... after some... shit, I'm fuckin' this up."

"Yes you are." Arya remarks dryly.

"Arya!" Sansa chides her sister. "Stop being horrid!"

Arya laughs and rolls her eyes, while Sansa stands as well, lacing her fingers with Sandor's.

"Sandor and I have decided to get married."

Catelyn claps her hands together and grins, Robb raises his glass to the couple, Theon whistles heartily, and Ygritte leans over and tells a beaming Jon that she knew it.

Gendry looks misty eyed and inspired, and Arya gives her sister a rare hug.

"I can't believe you're marrying my captor." She laughs. Sansa gives her a grin.

Robb wants to hear how it happened and Catelyn wants to see the ring, a simple silver thing but precious in Sansa's beautiful eyes.

Arya fades into the background, but Gendry could see her anywhere.

"Hey, Arry, can we talk?" Gendry leans close to her, invading her space. Arya, intuitive little thing, suddenly sees something in his eyes that she doesn't want to.

 Or, perhaps something that had always been there, but she'd become accustomed to ignoring.

"No."

"Arya, there's something I have to tell you. I want you to know... well, I've felt it for a while now, but... I think I'm in lo-"

She bolts.

Sansa and Sandor share a kiss, and Gendry runs after Arya.

"Arya, I just-"

"Gendry no. You're my best friend I don't- I can't hear this."

"But you have to know. It's been years."

"Gendry."

"No. You have no idea. You're so clever and you have no idea."

"I know more than you think."

"Did you know I love you?"

"Gendry-"

"I'm in love with you, Arya Stark."

"No you're not."

"Yes, I am."

"No."

"You don't get to tell me how to feel, Arya. I'm in love with you. I love you. I always have." Miserable, hopeless Gendry stares at his feet and he speaks his confession.

And then her lips are on his, soft and warm but insistent and demanding. He runs his hands up her sides, and then tangles his hands in her short hair, and - _Gods, Arya do you have any idea how long-_ She shuts him up by shoving her tongue in his mouth and pulling their bodies closer together, hands grasping at the lapels of his jacket.

Kissing her is heaven, but as quick as it begins, it ends.

She bolts.

A few hours after Sansa's news, Jon and Ygritte take their leave, exhausted and daunted by the long drive home.

The engine revs, press of the gas pedal and the _slam_ on the brakes.

Jon nearly runs Arya down with his car.

"What the _fuck_ , Arya?!"

"Can I come back with you?" She stumbles as she blinks into the headlights, empty bottle in her hand.

"Are you _drunk_?"

Ygritte notices the wetness on Arya's cheeks.

"Jon, stop yellin' at her!" Ygritte (ironically) yells. "Come on then, girl, in th' car."

Ygritte climbs in the back seat watches as the younger girl stares unblinkingly out the window the whole way North, while Jon ponders the appropriate punishment for the person who made her cry.


	15. O for Onion

**O-Onion**

_three days later_

"How are you doing that?" Arya asks as she blinks away the salty wetness gathering in the corners of her eyes, while Ygritte chops up onions without so much as one tear.

"Cause you've got such big, round eyes." Ygritte expertly twirls her knife.

"Don't listen to her, little sister." Jon calls from where he's stirring the rabbit stew. "She's a just freak of nature."

Arya laughs from her perch on the kitchen counter while Ygritte rolls her eyes. Jon walks up behind her and kisses her cheek as an apology, eyes watering.

"You know you love me." She retorts.

"I know." Jon replies. Ygritte turns and lets him peck her on the lips, and Arya uncharacteristically turns away. He takes the pile of onions and plops them into the stew.

Pacified, Ygritte washes her hands. "Jon can finish up in there, since 'e's not being very nice." She says, loud enough so he can hear. She pulls Arya from the counter and then to the couch.

"Come on, you, let's hear it then."

"Hear what?" Arya tucks her legs underneath herself. Ygritte gives her a look and the younger girl sighs.

"It's people, I s'pose."

"People like Gendry?" Ygritte probes.

Arya's 'no' is too quick and too vehement to be taken seriously. Ygritte rolls her eyes, but Arya's downcast gaze misses it.

"So what are these 'people' doin'?"

"People, Ygritte, are the worst."

Silence settles over the two as Arya sips the beer she somehow procured and Ygritte tests the limits of her patience.

"Why don't you want to be with 'im?" Ygritte finally asks, having determined the limit on her patience to be roughly three and a half minutes.

"What?"

"Gendry. Why don't you want t' be with him."

"He's my best friend."

"So?"

"I don't want to lose him."

Ygritte looks utterly perplexed.

"Gendry's my best friend. I can't risk it"

"Arya, your stupid brother is the love of my life. He's also my best friend. And I never worry bout losing 'im."

Jon joins them on the couch just then.

"She doesn't worry cause if I ever got lost I'm confident that she'd be the one to get me lost in the first place."

Arya's eyes are watery again, but not because of onions this time.

"Listen, child. I can't say if I love Jon for being my best friend or if e's my best friend because I love 'im."

"The two aren't mutually exclusive you know." Jon finishes for her.

A few seconds of silence pass, and Ygritte whispers in Jon's ear. "We should start a love advice column."

"You're only qualified to advise in how to annoy a man into sleeping with you."

"Hey, it worked."

"I'm not denying that."

Arya has says nothing more on the subject, but she smiles and teases them as they eat soup out of mismatched bowls.

She goes back to Winterfell the next day, and Jon gets a text from Gendry that simply reads

_thank you_.

He shows it to Ygritte.

"I'm tellin' you, Snow. Love advice column. We're certified experts."


	16. P for Puzzle

**P-Puzzle**

"You have to start with edge pieces."

"I know that."

"Which is why a corner piece is over here on the floor?"

"Shut up Jon."

"Why are you even doing a puzzle? You hate puzzles."

"Because it's raining 'n I'm bored. But this is boring too."

"Do you want help?"

"Well, since you're apparently a puzzle master."

"Ygritte, this is a cashew, it doesn't belong here."

"Shut up Jon."

"..."

"..."

"Why are you starting with the lion, that's the hardest part!"

"Where should I start then?!"

"With the edges you idiot!"

"..."

"..."

"Ha, edges ain't so easy eh, Lord Crow?"

"You didn't even sort the pieces."

"It's a fuckin' _puzzle_ , 'ow many rules _are_ there?"

"Well turning them all right side up generally helps."

"Fine."

"Ygritte, this puzzle is for ages six and up."

"I'm pretty sure we qualify Jon."

"..."

"..."

"You're right, this is boring."

"Told you so."

"I know something fun that we could do instead..."

"Seven hells, Jon, wasn't this morning enough for-hmm- you?"

"Never, Ygritte."

"Well t-then. Fuck the puzzle."

 Jon loves rainy days.


End file.
